Lyon will take on Man Utd on Thursday, 10 April in the first leg of their crunch Europa League quarter-final tie.
Both teams come into the match knowing that the Europa League is their final chance of securing silverware and saving their respective seasons which only adds more excitement and intrigue to the fixture.
Lyon came through very comfortably against FCSB in the previous round while Man Utd had a slightly tougher test in the form of Real Sociedad
How the bookies view it: A tough match to price
The bookies are finding this a hard match to call which isn't a huge surprise given that both teams are relatively evenly matched in terms of recent form. BoyleSports have just about given the edge to Lyon and have priced a home win at 7/5. A victory for Man Utd has been priced at 13/8 while the draw has been priced at 9/4
Head to head: A first competitive meeting in 17 years
The last time these two teams met in a competitive match was in 2008 when they faced off in a Champions League round of 16 tie. Back then, Karim Benzema led the line for Lyon while Man Utd had a front three of Carlos Tevez, Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney. The first leg in France finished 1-1 before Man Utd got the job done 1-0 at home.
Players to watch: How can Man Utd's forwards compare to those of yesteryear?
As mentioned, when Lyon last faced Man Utd in a competitive match, they had the headache of three of the best players in the world. That is absolutely not the case this time around with their two striker options, Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, both having poor seasons.
Hojlund is expected to get the nod on Thursday and to his credit, his form in Europe isn't too bad, certainly not when compared to his league form anyway. The Dane has scored five goals in the competition so far this season at an average of a goal every other game.
It goes without saying that Man Utd will need Hojulund to continue that type of form if they are to achieve their goal of lifting the Europa League trophy in May. It would not only bring his glory but could also buy him some more time with supporters.
Predicted line-ups
Lyon will be out without one of their key players on Thursday after Ernest Nuamah was ruled out for the rest of the season with an ACL injury. He joins Malick Fofana in the treatment room. Man Utd have a longer list of absentees with Lisandro Martinez, Ayden Heaven, Amad, Jonny Evans and Kobbie Mainoo all expected to miss out.
Lyon: Perri – Maitland-Niles, Mata, Niakhate, Tagliafico, Matic, Tessmann – Cherki, Tolisso, Almada – Mikautadze
Man Utd: Onana – Mazraoui, Maguire, Yoro – Dalot, Fernandes, Ugarte, Dorgu – Garnacho, Zirkzee – Hojlund
Anything else catch the eye?
Man Utd are very much a second-half team and do struggle to get out of the blocks early on in matches. They have failed to score in the first half in two of their last three matches and they are priced at 7/10 with BoyleSports to do the same again on Thursday.
This UEFA Europa League match between Lyon and Man Utd will be played on and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Lyon vs Man Utd prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
GambleAware